2 weeks Ago By Anthony Wood
Having already lost star midfielder Riqui Puig for the majority of the upcoming season after he suffered a torn ACL in November’s Western Conference Final, the LA Galaxy are now set to be without another starter. Ghanaian international winger Joseph Paintsil has reportedly suffered a quad injury, which will keep him out of the lineup for between six and eight weeks, according to Tom Bogert . This devastating blow for the reigning MLS Cup champions comes just under a year after they acquired the 27-year-old for approximately $9 million from Belgian Pro League side Genk.
Paintsil shone in his first MLS season, immediately settling in as a regular starter for head coach Greg Vanney as a part of their fearsome attacking lineup, which included Dejan Joveljic, Gabriel Pec, and later in the season, Marco Reus. All in all, Paintsil finished his first season with the Galaxy having netted 15 goals in 37 games, including one in their 2-1 MLS Cup Final win against the New York Red Bulls. Fast forward just two months and the Galaxy’s reign as Cup champions is already looking tenuous.
Not only are they without former Barcelona starlet Puig and Paintsil, but Serbian international forward Joveljic has since signed for Sporting Kansas City for $4 million. But following their recent signing of Paraguayan midfielder Lucas Sanabria from Nacional, it appears that further reinforcements could be on the horizon, with Brazil Under-23 international Matheus Nascimento reportedly nearing a loan move from Botafogo, as per Tiago Brandao . The 20-year-old forward made his professional debut back in 2020 aged just 16, and has since made 87 appearances for the Serie A side, scoring 11 goals.
Another potentially inbound signing is former US Men’s National Team forward Christian Ramirez . An MLS Cup and Leagues Cup winner with the Columbus Crew, a deal for the 33-year-old has already been agreed upon, as per GiveMeSport . Ramirez’s career has primarily seen him dominate Stateside, appearing in the USL, NASL, and MLS since 2013.
This was interrupted by two seasons with Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen prior to signing for Columbus. Since joining the resigning Leagues Cup side, Ramirez has scored 21 goals in 67 games. With or without Nascimento and Ramirez, the Galaxy’s Cup defense will kick off on February 23 when they host newcomers San Diego FC in what will be Apple TV’s first Sunday Night Soccer presentation.
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